D&D 5E Keith Baker: Exploring Eberron

Eberron creator Keith Baker has been busy recently! He has unveiled the cover to his new book, to be released in July on DMs Guild in PDF and Print on Demand hardcover. It will dive into parts of Eberron that have received little attention in prior books, including the undersea civilizations and the planes.

Keith sent Sly Flourish a PDF copy of the book, which Sly flipped through


Also, check out the KB Presents Twitter for past previews

 

[ChaosOS]

Also, the DHB story is just a Xoriat planetouched - the story for "how" is being born/conceived near a Xoriat MZ or Daelkyr realm. Alternatively, mom could've had a breed Leach Symbiont.

Mechanically I'd just reuse the Simic hybrid from GGtR and reflavor as Symbiont powers. This might be the actual sticking point for Keith as you'd have to figure out an appropriate way to balance low level Symbiont access without people complaining that it doesn't go far enough to feel alien. But that might also just be putting words in his mouth.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

It's weird that Keith wouldn't like the daelkyr half-blood concept and then lean super heavily on PCs using symbionts as a whole cultural thing.

The two are very, very, different.

 

[Bitbrain]

It's weird that Keith wouldn't like the daelkyr half-blood concept and then lean super heavily on PCs using symbionts as a whole cultural thing.

Umm, if I recall correctly, the method by which a half-Daelkyr forms is rather problematic, to put it delicately.

 

[tetrasodium]

Umm, if I recall correctly, the method by which a half-Daelkyr forms is rather problematic, to put it delicately.

It's also more of a "I stood too close to the Pristine Tower" vibe than diving in with Symbionts & such, I think the halfblood was more of a 3.5ism trying to avoid punpun type unforseen interactions

 

[Hellcow]

It's weird that Keith wouldn't like the daelkyr half-blood concept and then lean super heavily on PCs using symbionts as a whole cultural thing.

I've always been a fan of symbionts. But as Dyrrn the Corruptor would say, there's more than one way to skin a cat (... and then fuse spectral tentacles to the raw muscle). Setting everything else aside, DHBs are called out as being primarily associated with humans. I'm presenting a dwarf-specific option that reflects the influence of the daelkyr. That doesn't invalidate the idea that the DHBs can also exist in the world; it's simply not an attempt to replicate the DHB in 5E.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

It's weird that Keith wouldn't like the daelkyr half-blood concept and then lean super heavily on PCs using symbionts as a whole cultural thing.

I've always been a fan of symbionts. But as Dyrrn the Corruptor would say, there's more than one way to skin a cat (... and then fuse spectral tentacles to the raw muscle). Setting everything else aside, DHBs are called out as being primarily associated with humans. I'm presenting a dwarf-specific option that reflects the influence of the daelkyr. That doesn't invalidate the idea that the DHBs can also exist in the world; it's simply not an attempt to replicate the DHB in 5E.

Speaking of putting spectral tentacles on a cat, how free are you (and any other Eberron DMs in the thread) with creating weird new creatures for players to have as Vadalis magebred pets?

 

[ChaosOS]

I tend to lean towards Vadalis magebred animals being variations on something that already exists, as opposed to something brand new - to me, those are the purview of the great flesshapers like Mordain or the Daelkyr.

 

[Hellcow]

I agree with ChaosOS -- that Vadalis is more likely to tweak things that already exists than to make something entirely new. I also feel that they primarily work with beasts, or with monstrosities that are themselves variations of beasts (griffons, hippogriffs, owlbears). So if someone wanted to have a winged cat as a Vadalis creation I might allow it; but I don't see Vadalis making tiny beholders.

 

[Leatherhead]

I am now imagining House Deneith taking out a contract with House Vadalis for breeding Tressym, to use their abilities to detect poison and invisible creatures.

 

[Weiley31]

The two are very, very, different.

Speaking of putting spectral tentacles on a cat,

You know, with the upcoming Cats and Catacombs (Animal Adventures), you can totally do that by rolling up a cat Adventurer and giving em a symbiote.